“You knew?” I say. “He knew?”
“He helped me plan everything.”
“What?” Okay, now I’m really surprised. I get that he’s no longer in that same bad place as he has been the past few weeks, but going from that to helping plan a party seems rather drastic. Or is it? Maybe he’s just making more of an effort to go back to normalcy.
I must look really confused, because Danny shrugs and says, “I think I kind of spiraled a little back there. But I’m feeling a lot better now. More optimistic. I just want to end the semester on a high. Feels like good luck or something.”
Wanting to end the semester on a high—well, can’t argue with that.
***
I spend the rest of the afternoon digging through my closet for something to wear, which reminds me of Beth and makes me feel terrible. If I hadn’t fallen out with her, I would be in her room right now, getting ready together. I miss her.
I go to her room, and, with a deep breath, I knock on the door.
“Come in,” she calls out.
Beth’s putting on mascara. When she sees me, she goes, “Ugh,” and rolls her eyes, and then goes, “Ouch! Motherfu—” She blinks furiously, her eyes tearing up, and snaps, “What do you want, Lia?”
I grab her tissue box and hold it out to her, but she ignores it.
“Well?” she says.
I hug the tissue box to my chest like a shield. “I, um. I just wanted to know if you’re going to Sam’s party.”
She gestures to herself. “Hel-lo, do you not see how fabulous I look? Obviously, I’m going to Sam’s party.” She glances at the mirror and groans. “Except now I’m going to have to redo my eye makeup, thanks to you. You know how long it took to get the gold leaf on?”
It’s true, she looks like some Roman goddess, if Roman goddesses wore minidresses and gold leaf on their eyelids. And were Asian. The effect is striking, and seriously, only Beth could carry off something this wild, and before I know it, I stride forward and catch her in a tight hug.
“Ew, get off me—”
“I hate us fighting,” I say, and she stops struggling.
“You’re an asshole,” she says.
“I know, I am, and I’m sorry,” I babble, “But you being a literal drug dealer kind of caught me off guard, I didn’t know what to do, I—”
“I was. Past tense.”
“What?” I release her.
“When I told my supplier that I lost my entire stash, she fired me. I had to pay her off, obviously. Sold most of my jewelry and half of my closet to do that.” She sighs. “You were right. I shouldn’t have been doing that. I don’t know what I was thinking. And I feel truly shitty about everything, especially after what happened with Sophie. I’ll never be able to make up for everything I’ve done, but I’ll try.”
“I—wow.” I haven’t dared to think of the logistics of Beth’s business, but it seems like the best end she could’ve hoped for.
“What did you do with the stash?”
There’s a momentary pause as I recall how I lost a third of the stash. “I flushed them down different toilets.”
“Methodical,” Beth says, nodding approvingly.
“Very.” I look at her. “So. Are we good?”
“No.”
My heart sinks.
“We’re not ‘good,’ not with you wearing that thing.” She starts rummaging around her closet, which is just as well, as I need a bit of time to will away my tears.
We arrive at the dock fifteen minutes late, looking totally amazing. I gasp out loud when I see Sam’s yacht. It’s amazing. The size of a house. Even from the dock, the music from the yacht’s so loud, I can practically see it vibrating with the noise. The entire thing is strung with lights that change color in time with the music.
Beth and I strut across the plank because we’re fab like that. Okay, we try to strut, but I totally fail because the plank’s moving ever so slightly, and it’s enough to throw me off. Once we get onto the yacht, we’re greeted by a server who puts a champagne flute in each of our hands. The place is heaving with kids. Many of them must’ve arrived early because some are already visibly drunk, moving haphazardly in the swaying crowd.
“This is crazy,” I say.
“What?” Beth yells.
“Nothing,” I yell back.
“What?”
I take out my phone and type out, I want to find Danny.
Beth nods and gestures for us to make a round. We make our way across the sun deck, where kids are dancing and shouting and laughing, and down to the main deck.
Inside, the music’s slightly less loud, and the atmosphere is more laid-back. Everything in here is swanky, shiny furniture and leather seats. Instead of jumping up and down and dancing, the students here are playing card games and/or making out. I see a flash of boob and avert my eyes.
“You guys made it!”
I turn to see Sam and Grace. Sam looks incredible, dressed in a silver dress that shows off her long legs. Grace is in a gold dress with a plunging neckline, and together they look like the sun and the moon. “Wow, you guys look amazing.”
“You do too!” Grace squeals. She seems…high. Or maybe I’m just imagining it?
“There you are,” someone says behind me, and I turn and see Danny, looking way too handsome. It’s really not fair, how gorgeous this boy looks. I immediately put my arms around him and kiss him, because honestly, you can’t not.
“You’re beautiful,” he says, and I melt.
Groans all around us.
“Get a room,” someone says.
“Yeah, there are plenty of rooms in here,” Sam says.
I grin sheepishly. “Sorry.”
Then, from behind Danny, I see Stacey. My mouth drops open. “You came!” I didn’t think parties were her jam.
She scowls. “Danny made me come.”
“Really?” I look at Danny.
He shrugs. “I thought it might be nice for you to have all your friends here. And”—he turns to Stacey—“you shouldn’t spend the end of the semester all alone in your room.”
She sighs and gives him a reluctant smile. Wow.
I can’t believe Danny invited her, especially after all that paranoia he had about her and the keylogger. If that isn’t the sweetest thing a boy has ever done for his girlfriend, I don’t know what is. “Thank you,” I say to him, squeezing his hand. He shrugs again.
I hug Stacey. “I’m so glad you came!”
“Where’s the waiter for this deck?” Sam says. “We need drinks here.”
“I’ll go get some,” Danny says. “You guys sit tight.”